It Began With A Question
by Lilinoe
Summary: Ichigo and Grimmjow are fighting in Las Noches. As they fight, Ichigo sees something flash in Grimmjow's eyes. That look confuses Ichigo because hollows weren't supposed to have hearts, so why did Grimmjow's eyes carry such sadness? Warnings inside.
1. The Question

_**A/N: Ok this is my first fanfic and I was inspired to write this after watching the final battle between Ichigo and Grimmjow. It probably feels kind of really OOC but when the idea popped into my head I had been awake for 30 hours straight and then the idea wouldn't leave me alone so here it is. Please enjoy ^^**_

_**Warnings: _Hurt/Comfort/Romance, sort of Angst, probably Drama, MPREG, mentions of rape, Yaoi, MalexMale, OOC, etc... IchixGrimm Inspired by 156 Feelings by Shadow of Arashi (at least the chapters like 18, 20, 23, and 29)_**_

_**_Full Summary: This starts when Ichigo and Grimmjow are fighting in Las Noches. As they fight, Ichigo sees something flash in Grimmjow's eyes... That look confuses the shinigami because hollows weren't supposed to have hearts, so why did Grimmjow's eyes carry such sadness? As Grimmjow attacks, Ichigo catches his hand and asks the question; "Why do you look so sad?" That question flung open the flood-gates and filled them both with new and surprising emotions that could be just what they needed..._**_

**Ichigo's POV:**

Why do you look so sad? That thought flitted through my mind as we danced with our swords. When you challenged me to fight all I could see was fire and excitement in your eyes; but now as we clash steel, and through the dust and debris when you think I can't see your face, that fire dims and that emotion slips through. Then after that split second is past you put on that smirk and re-stoke the flames in your eyes to ready for another attack. Our blades clash again and again, and where I could previously only feel rage and blood lust, now I sense something I cannot describe for I have never felt it from another during battle.'

Another blow found its mark and I smashed through another giant pillar. I must admit that these emotional slips of his catch me off guard and I'm probably taking more damage than I normally would. His loud laugh seems hysterical as he attacks almost as if something is slowly pushing his mind to insanity, and I wonder for a moment if it's this strange emotion. His next attack sends me crashing into another pillar leaving a gapping hole in the solid stone. My mask is about three quarters gone by now and I try to regain my breath as he slowly walked in front of me like a cat stalking it's prey.

His eyes seemed to be full of turmoil and it conflicted with the way he moved, like a predator. He was dashing towards me with his claws set to pierce my chest. I caught his hand in mine and looked at him with all the warmth in my eyes I could muster before finally asking the question plaguing my mind, "Why do you look so sad?"

He looked genuinely surprised at that single question because he didn't say anything; he just kept staring into my eyes. After the initial shock wore off, a range of emotions flashed through his eyes, the most prominent were confusion and fear, which caught me by surprise because I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see fear on that proud panther's face. The next question slipped past my lips, "What are you afraid of?"

He tensed at the question and tried to put some distance between us, which didn't work, as he noticed his hand was still firmly caught in my grasp. As he realized that I wasn't going to loosen my grip on his hand his posture changed entirely; his shoulders tensed, his feline ears flattened against his head, and his long tail wrapped around his legs. He then slowly turned his head to face me, the only emotions I could see on his face were fear, anxiety and deep rooted pain.

Seeing those emotions in his eyes and the defensive, fearful posture I did the only thing I could think of, I tugged on his hand and pulled him into a gentle embrace. A surprised gasp escaped from his lips and he tried to shrink away from my body; this just made me grip him tighter around his waist. I then slowly let go of his hand and used my now freed hand to gently run through his silky blue hair. I could feel his body tremble in my arms and his next move caught me by surprise; he shifted his weight so he was leaning on me, it was light and his body was still tense, then he tilted his face so it rested in the crook of my neck.

This slight shift was quite shocking for me but not as shocking as what I now felt on my shoulder; almost immediately after Grimmjow had buried his face in the crook of my neck, warm moisture spread slowly. At first my mind rejected the thought that was forming until I noticed that his shoulders were still shaking and his breathing was ragged and uneven. What I thought was impossible was actually happening, the proud blue haired arrancar was crying on my shoulder! Instinctively I started gently rubbing his back as he seemed to unravel in my arms.

Grimmjow slowly started to adjust to my touch, he leaned against me a bit more and his shoulders started to relax. Then slowly, tentatively his arms circled around to my back and he lightly gripped the cloth at my shoulders. These slow cautious moves made me think that he was acting like a skittish kitten. This thought brought a smile to my lips as I tightened my arm around his waist. We stayed like that until I felt his breathing even out and his shoulders stopped trembling.

When it seemed like Grimmjow had calmed down, I gently pulled him off of my shoulder so I could see his eyes. Those beautiful cerulean eyes of his that were usually so full of fire now were bloodshot and slightly puffy. The expression they held was devoid of that fire, replaced with a tired, cautious and curious look. I opened my mouth to ask him what was wrong when he put a finger to my lips, effectively cutting me off.

"I want to tell you about my past, will you listen?"

I just nodded my head and pulled us over to a large piece of the pillar that had fallen. We both sat down and I immediately pulled him so he was leaning against my chest with my arms wrapped around his middle protectively. He seemed to relax at my touch, which caused my lips to pull upward into a smile. He just relaxed against my chest as he thought of how to begin.

**Grimmjow's POV:**

"Why do you look so sad?" the orange haired shinigami asked calmly. The fact that he caught my attack, and then he goes and asks the same question that basically got me into this mess had me surprised to say the least. After all that was the question that Aizen asked me when we first met, although he was nothing but sarcastic and cold when he did so. I froze as the unwanted memories came flooding back. Something must have shown on my face because the next thing I hear is the shinigami quietly ask "What are you afraid of?"

This had to be a first for me, someone being able to read my true emotions so clearly and actually seem to care and mean it. This left me momentarily stunned and feeling vulnerable so I tried to get away from this man. I suddenly realized he still had my hand in his tight grasp and he had no intention of letting go. My body suddenly remembered being dragged to Aizen for more abuse and as a reflex my body curled in defense.

I chanced a look at the man who had me trapped. I could feel the adrenalin pumping through my veins, fear almost certainly etched on my features as I peered into strange gold on black eyes, the expression those eyes held was soft. He let the last bit of his mask crumble away and his eyes returned to those warm chocolate brown eyes.

I didn't expect what happened next; after looking into my eyes for a moment, he suddenly tugged my hand and wrapped his other arm around my waist. I gasped at the sudden motion and tried to back away from his body. This only made him grip me tighter. I was momentarily confused when he let go of my hand, but then I felt his hand moving through my hair. To be treated so gently was a completely foreign sensation for me. I shivered as I felt something welling up in my chest, something I never felt before. The feeling rose and I felt my eyes prickle with moisture.

Something told me that I could trust this shinigami, no Ichigo; I can trust Ichigo even though my instinct was screaming at me to trust no one. I decided to follow that strange felling and I leaned into him slightly and turned my face into the crook of his neck.

I was confused when I felt the cloth getting damp, then I noticed that I was crying. When I realized this, the tears seemed to fall faster and my breathing became uneven. Then I felt his hand move on by back. The gentleness of the action was comforting and I could feel the tension in my shoulders start to melt away. I leaned a little closer to him, and seemingly on their own, my arms circled around him slowly. His arm tightened around my waist and for the first time, I felt completely safe.

We stayed like that until my tears stopped and my breathing evened out. He slowly pulled me off of his shoulder and when I looked at him I saw his chocolate brown eyes filled with concern. He opened his mouth to say something and I placed a finger to his lips before he had the chance to get the words out. The words that I spoke seemed to surprise us both; "I want to tell you about my past, will you listen?" He nodded and pulled me over to a particularly large piece of rubble that used to be a pillar. We sat down and he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist in a protective manner. That feeling of safety came back and I relaxed into his embrace as I thought of where to start my story.

I took a deep breath and started by telling him about how hollows become gillians, then how gillians became adjucas, and the fear that prompts all adjucas to seek out more power. Then I told him how I became the leader of a group of adjucas who were striving to become vasto lorde. After some time they abandoned their goal and I became a king with no subjects.

"Shortly after that Aizen found me and turned me into an arrancar…" I turned my head to look into warm eyes "…and that is when my hell truly began."

I paused and Ichigo stayed silent, waiting for me to continue. "When we are reborn as arrancar, we are given a number; the numbers one through ten are reserved for the strongest. As well as the number we in the top ten are called espada. What we didn't know at the time was that there was another reason Aizen chose us to be espada." My breath caught a little as I recalled those events. I pushed myself to continue but I could feel my muscles tense a little and my shoulders started to shake. I guess I felt reassured when Ichigo tightened his grip, trying to calm me down, because I stopped shaking.

I took a few shaky breaths before I continued. "We found out his ulterior motives pretty quickly, but none of us could do a damn thing about it." I turned and looked into Ichigo's eyes, trying to find the strength to voice out Aizen's sins and my humiliation. What I saw in his eyes must have been what I needed because the words poured from my mouth before I could really process anything. "Aizen used us all in cruel and unmentionable ways. We were his pet projects, lab rats for his sick experiments. One of his tests showed that my body had some of the rare qualities that would allow me to carry children."

My eyes stayed locked with Ichigo's and I could almost see the gears of his mind turn, processing the information, then it clicked and his eyes went wide in a look of horror. "It looks like you can guess what happened." I broke our eye contact, afraid to see his reaction to what I was going to say next.

Tears started to prick my eyes again; I didn't let them spill as I said what would confirm Ichigo's hunch. "That bastard raped me countless times until I did get pregnant." Ichigo went rigid behind me, to the point where I couldn't even feel him breathing. My shoulders were shaking and my eyes were burning with unshed tears but I forced myself to keep talking. "He locked me in his lab until they were born, there were three of them. He separated us immediately but my instincts screamed at me to get them back. Apparently hollows have extremely strong parenting instincts, no matter who fathered the litter."

"I haven't seen them since, hell I don't even know if they're alive or not." Now the tears did fall as I imagined what happened to my kittens. Ichigo was silent. I turned to look at him; he was looking off at the distance with pure fury and hatred burning behind his eyes.

"I-Ichigo?"

His eyes snapped to mine, the loathing switched to determination. "Let's go get them." When he said that, the determination in his voice made me feel like I was floating. He relit the fire in the very depth of my being. Along with that fire was… hope? Was that what I was feeling? Then they hit me, all of the questions I had forced myself not to thing about. What if I fail? What if I can't get them back? How can I raise them away from Hueco Mundo? What if they are already dead?

Thinking that last question made me gasp. I started to shake again as that question echoed in my head. Ichigo must be a mind reader because what he said shocked me again. "If Aizen killed them, then you get the first swing at him, then you can pummel his corpse into a bloody pulp." If I wasn't sure before I am sure now, I can trust Ichigo.


	2. The Rescue

**A/N: This story is really hard to write in long doses. I have the ideas in my head but they just don't flow onto the paper… well I finally got this chapter out. I hope you all like it. And a big thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this, it makes my day! ^^**

**Ichigo's POV:**

After my bold declaration, I had to come up with a plan to rescue Grimmjow's children. I figured that we should bring Inoue with us in case they were hurt. Ideally the best option would be to regroup with everyone but I honestly don't think that's a viable option, considering I can feel their reiatsu in all different directions.

Grimmjow and I made our way back to the pillar where we left Inoue. It seems that we moved farther in the course of our fight than I thought, as it took quite a while to even get that massive pillar back into sight.

Inoue was a little more than distressed seeing Grimmjow behind me. I quickly explained the situation and rescue plan, and after unanimously agreeing that Aizen was an unforgivable asshole that needed to have his ass handed to him in the worst of ways, Inoue healed us again and restored our reiatsu.

We decided that stealth would be our best course of action. So we suppressed our reiatsu as best we could and we set off as fast as possible towards the heart of Las Noches where we would find Aizen's lab.

As we got closer I noticed a surprising lack of guards or any other sort of security. We continued through pristine white hallways that seemed to snake on forever, until we came up to a massive set of heavy metal doors that Grimmjow said were the main entrance to the lab.

He was visibly shaking at this point. It was understandable why he was so shaken, this was the place where he was raped, tortured and held captive. I can't even begin to imagine half of what he must be feeling right now as we stand here.

This door separates him and his children. The children fathered by his tormentor were being held in the place that even demons would flee from, and where nightmares were spawned. It's a place where he probably never wanted to set foot in again.

I put my hand on his shoulder, hopefully offering him some sort of comfort. He took a few deep breaths and stepped up to the door, poised to open it.

"Be ready for anything." He said it loud enough for us to hear but it sounded like he was trying to prepare himself for the worst possible outcome. He slowly pushed open the door and the scene that greeted us looked like it belonged in a science fiction movie.

There were rows upon rows of cylindrical tanks filled with clear neon green fluid and each tank held some sort of experiment covered in nothing but countless wires. The tanks seemed to be a life support system and each was connected to a complex computer system.

It looked like Aizen collected his specimens from all three worlds. There were exotic animals, human and shinigami souls as well as hollows of all kinds.

We walked up and down the rows trying to find Grimmjow's kittens. Suddenly at the end of one of the rows, we all froze dead in our tracks. The tank we were facing was different from the others.

It was rectangular in shape and roughly three times bigger than the cylinders. The fluid was an icy blue color but what caught our attention were the three tiny forms floating in the liquid. They all had electric blue hair and were covered from head to toe with wires.

I thought something was odd about what I was seeing. Other than the fact that children were being kept in a lab like rats, said children appeared to be about five or six years old.

According to Grimmjow, he got pregnant after Aizen showed up in Las Noches, that was a little over a year ago. There was just no was his litter could be this old, but here they are in front of me now, solid proof of the impossible.

I looked over to Grimmjow and he seemed to be in shock, he just stood there perfectly still staring at his children. Inoue was just looking at the tank, it seemed like she didn't sense the serious atmosphere that settled over us. She turned to me.

"Kurosaki-kun, what should we do now?" Her question snapped me out of my stupor.

"We need to get them out of that tank and get the fluid out of their lungs." My mind was racing to try and think of the best way to make this as smooth as possible. The last thing we needed was something bad happening when we were on the move.

I know that I am acting different; usually I would take the fastest most direct method possible and deal with the consequences as they came, but after seeing those helpless children I wanted to make sure they were as safe as possible. I have always been protective of children but this was different, it was a strange instinctual feeling, almost like a familial bond. I pushed that thought aside. I could sort that out later, now we needed to rescue the kittens.

Upon closer inspection of the tank I spotted a ladder attached to one side. I climbed up and was relieved to find the top of the tank open; at least we wouldn't have to smash the tank to get them out. It also looked like there was a platform covering the back third of the tank. The platform was about two feet wide and it looked strong enough to hold my weight.

I climbed onto the platform carefully, testing its strength and it looked like it would be strong enough. Letting out a relieved sigh I knelt down and reached into the fluid. It was warm, just a little above body temperature.

My fingers curled around the arm of the first child, and I lifted him to the surface where I carefully scooped him into my arms. He immediately started to cough out the fluid from his lungs and I disconnected the wires from his body.

"You're safe now." I whispered to the little angel sleeping in my arms, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I carried him in one arm and slowly descended the ladder. Grimmjow was right there behind me, and anxious to see his kitten.

I turned towards him and I saw his eyes lock onto the sleeping form I was carrying. His eyes softened and relief washed over his features as he saw his kitten alive. He gingerly lifted him out of my arms and I heard a low rumble in his chest that distinctly sounded like a purr.

I quickly ascended the ladder again, eager to reunite Grimmjow with all of his kittens. I carefully pulled the second boy out of the fluid, disconnected the wires and with a few gentle pats on the back he coughed out the fluid from his lungs. Grimmjow was waiting at the bottom of the ladder, ready to receive his second son.

Inoue was fussing over the first boy and had her _soten kishun_ above them like a canopy, making sure that he wasn't hurt. When Grimmjow had his second son in his arms he quickly brought him over next to his other son under the gentle glow of Inoue's power.

I climbed up one last time and lifted the last one out of the tank. She was a lot smaller than her brothers and that made her seem even more fragile. After disconnecting the wires and getting her to breath, I carried her over to Grimmjow who was with the rest of his litter.

I lay the girl down next to her brothers under the healing glow.

"How are they doing Inoue?" She looked over to me.

"They are physically fine, all of their vital systems are stable, but…" She trailed off and looked at Grimmjow then back to me. "I don't know when they'll wake up." Her voice was quiet and held a somber note.

The room got quiet; all eyes were focused on the three sleeping children. The silence was heavy as we contemplated the best course of action we could take.

"We should go back to Karakura Town and have Urahara-san take a look at them. That would be our safest option." Inoue quickly agreed with me but Grimmjow seemed hesitant. "At the very least it's a whole lot safer than staying here."

He seemed to understand my underlying message of 'we need to get out of Aizen's lab now,' and he opened a garganta. We each carried a child through the portal as we hurried back to Karakura Town.

**Grimmjow's POV:**

After Ichigo had planted the idea of rescuing my kittens in my head, it was the only thought that occupied my mind. Everything else seemed to pass in a blur. Meeting up with that woman and the entire trek to the lab only registered as white noise in my brain. It was only when we had the large metal doors to the lab in our sights that I began to feel nervous.

The closer we got the more uneasy I felt, and by the time we were in front of the door I could feel myself shaking. The room beyond these doors is my own personal hell, and yet this is the room where my kittens are.

My instincts were conflicting in my head; on one hand there was my survival instinct screaming at me to get as far away from here as possible. On the other hand was my parenting instinct that told me to charge in and get my kittens back. My body's response to both of these instincts was to flood my system with adrenalin. I could feel my nerves tingle, ready to react to any stimulus.

Suddenly I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. The gentle sensation snapped my mind back to the task at hand and made my body relax a little. I couldn't believe that just a touch from Ichigo had that much of an effect on me.

I took a few deep breaths to calm down further. "Be ready for anything." I said that just as much to myself as the others. With that I pushed open the extremely heavy door and once again saw hell, as I knew it.

The rows upon rows of test subjects being kept in tanks filled with green fluid. I had told Ichigo that I was locked in this lab and tortured among other things, but part of the story I edited out was during my pregnancy; I was imprisoned in one of those tubes for almost the entire time. That fluid paralyses the body but keeps the mind awake and functioning, it's maddening.

As we walked up and down the aisles, more and more painful memories plagued my brain. At the moment it was all I could do just to keep walking, my mind and senses had gone numb as a conditioned response to being in here. I was so out of it I almost ran into Ichigo when he had stopped at the end of one of the rows.

I couldn't believe my eyes; there in the tank in front of us were my kittens. But something was wrong, they looked like they were a few years old when they should still be infants. As hard as it was to believe, there is no mistake that they are mine. After all they have my hair color.

I couldn't take my eyes off of them. I heard the woman ask Ichigo something and I heard him answer, but the words just didn't register in my mind. I saw Ichigo move to the side of the tank and he climbed up a ladder onto the top of the tank. He reached into the fluid and lifted the first boy out and into his arms.

Ichigo cradled the tiny form gently as he carefully pulled off the wires. I heard a soft coughing from the child and I felt a mix of emotions. I was happy and relieved that he was breathing, but concerned about his well being and worry for his future.

Ichigo looked relieved as well. His eyes were soft and caring and the smile that spread across his face could have melted the heart of the devil himself. He started to climb down the ladder and I felt my feet carry me forward to meet him at the bottom.

He turned to me and my eyes were instantly glued to my son, sleeping soundly in his arms. I slowly reached out for him, almost afraid that this is just a dream and I'll wake up at any moment. That fear flew away the instant I touched his soft skin. This was real. My kittens were alive. I carefully lifted him out of Ichigo's arms and I couldn't help the purr that vibrated in my chest.

Ichigo started climbing up the ladder again so I made my way over to the woman. She was excited to see my boy, and she brought out her healing bubble over us. She said it was just to be sure they would be ok to move. A barely audible cough caught my attention and I found myself waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder again.

Ichigo handed him over to me and I quickly brought him back to get checked by the woman. I was so entranced just by looking at my two sons under the gentle healing glow; so much so that I didn't even notice Ichigo until he was right next to me, my little girl nestled securely in his embrace. He put her down next to her brothers under the bubble.

"How are they doing Inoue?" She looked over to him.

"They are physically fine, all of their vital systems are stable but…" She glanced over to me then back to Ichigo. "I don't know when they'll wake up." That last part was said barely louder than a whisper but it rang out loud and clear in the silence. That silence was heavy and all of us had our eyes locked on the three sleeping in front of us.

"We should go back to Karakura Town and have Urahara-san take a look at them. That would be our safest option." It was Ichigo who broke the tense heavy silence, and the woman seemed keen on his suggestion.

I wasn't quite as sure. How do I know if it's safe for my kittens to be there? After all Karakura Town is a hot spot for shinigami and hollows alike.

"At the very least it's a whole lot safer than staying here." His eyes spoke volumes about his concern for everyone's safety and the risk we would be taking by staying here longer than necessary. I could understand his worry so I opened a garganta, each of us carrying one of my kittens through the portal and hopefully towards safety.

As we neared the opening at the end, I could see the cityscape dyed red by the setting sun outside. The closer we got the more anxious I felt. I didn't know if Urahara would actually help or if he would try to eliminate my kittens and me.

**Ichigo's POV:**

Grimmjow seemed quite tense. I could feel his reiatsu fluctuate, and when I looked over his eyes had hardened and his jaw muscles were clenched. When we got to the exit, Inoue called out her _santen keshun_ and stood on it like an elevator as she lowered it to the ground in front of Urahara's shop. Grimmjow and I floated down next to her.

The instant we all touched down, the front door flew open to reveal a battle-ready Ururu and Ginta followed by Urahara who looked much calmer but his eyes were sharp and focused.

Inoue stepped forward a bit. "We're back! It's nice to see you all again."

Her bubbly greeting seemed to diffuse the tense battle vibe that was hanging in the air. Now that we weren't going to start killing each other at any moment, I decided to speak. "Urahara-san, we need your help."

"Does this have something to do with those children?" His tone was light and chipper as usual but his eyes stayed focused and alert. I just nod my head to answer. "Well then, lets go back inside and have some tea while you tell me the whole long story."

With that he turned and walked back into the store. Ururu followed him in but Ginta just stood by the door glaring at us as we walked in after them.

We were led to one of the back rooms where three futon were set out. Urahara said we should put the children to bed before we talked. So far this was going much better than I had hoped, and I'm glad that Urahara is so open-minded.

Inoue decided to watch over the children while we talked in the adjacent room. We sat down at the low table and sipped at the hot tea that Tessai had brought out for us. I couldn't stand the silence that wasn't getting us anywhere, so I started telling Urahara everything that happened.

When I finished, I could honestly say that Urahara looked genuinely shocked and I almost wished I had a camera with me. "So can you help us Urahara-san?"

He nodded. "I'll do everything that I can. I need to take a blood sample. Oh and don't worry Grimmjow, I only need one vial from each of them."

Grimmjow looked less than thrilled at seeing Urahara draw the blood from his sleeping kittens. Urahara then took the samples and disappeared into another room.

A short time later he reemerged carrying three IV bags. A low threatening growl rumbled in Grimmjow's chest when he saw them.

"Relax, this is just saline. All three of them are dehydrated, this will help." He started hooking up the IVs. "I have my computers analyzing the blood samples so we should have some results in an hour or so." When he had finished hooking up the IVs, he disappeared back into the other room leaving Grimmjow and me to look over the children.

Inoue had dozed off earlier and Tessai had moved her to another room to sleep. We sat in silence as we waited for the tests to be done. All of Grimmjow's attention was focused on his litter. On his face was an unreadable expression; I could only wonder what was going through his mind as he looks at his children.

My mind started to wander and random questions started popping into my head. None of them seemed to stick in my mind long enough to ponder it, with the exception of one. That one little question kept floating back into my thoughts.

I figured that it was something that he was or is thinking about, so I might as well just ask. "Hey Grimmjow?"

"Hmm?" He sounded lost in thought.

"I was wondering, have you thought of their names yet?" He turned towards me, his eyes were filled with a complicated emotion and on his lips was a sad smile.

"No, it was too painful… Aizen took them right after they were born." Moisture started to gather in his eyes. "Today was the first time I got to really see them…" A tear slid down his cheek. "…and hold them in my arms."

I left my spot against the wall and sat right next to Grimmjow. Slowly I wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled him into a protective hug. He leaned into my chest, rested his head on my shoulder and loosely wrapped his arms around my waist.

I slid my hand up to the base of his neck and began applying a light pressure with my thumb and fingertips. I was slowly massaging the knots out of his neck, and as I worked I heard a soft purr. It was so faint I would have missed it if he weren't leaning on my shoulder.

His tense muscles slowly started to relax and his purring gradually stopped as his breathing evened out. It looks like he dozed off, and I thought it best to let him sleep. After the emotional rollercoaster he must have gone through today, he must be exhausted.

I couldn't see the features of his face because his head was still on my shoulder, but I could tell by how relaxed his body is that he must trust me to some extent; otherwise he wouldn't sleep in front of me, especially when he was just reunited with his kittens who slept so peacefully right next to us. The thought that he trusted me made my happy. I wanted to be someone he could rely on.

I wondered for a moment when I started to feel that, especially since we were pretty much fighting a death match earlier today. After thinking over the day's events I came to the conclusion that it didn't matter when my mindset changed, only that it did and now I want to protect him.

I smiled to myself; content just sitting there rubbing Grimmjow's back as he slept on my shoulder, and wait for Urahara to come back with the test results.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I have a big surprise planned for the next chapter. I just hope I can write it faster this time... **


	3. WHAT!

**A/N: Sorry it took me forever to update. This chapter fought me every step of the way and it kind of turned out **_**fluffy**_**. How I want from angsty to fluffy… Anyway I'm just relived its finally done and posted. Big thank you to everyone that commented/faved/alerted this story! Please enjoy ^^**

**Grimmjow's PoV:**

I hadn't expected the onslaught of emotions that overwhelmed me when Ichigo asked me if I had thought about their names. It was a harmless question but it was a bit of a tender spot for me. I had forced myself not to think of names early on because Aizen was always so freaking unpredictable and I had no idea what he would do. I was scared to forge that connection, because the pain of them being taken away would have been exponentially greater. Truth be told I was still afraid of forging bonds and of the future, but now I was happy to be with my kittens.

As I was answering Ichigo's question all of my emotions and fears crashed over me like a tidal wave. As a result I found myself crying on Ichigo's shoulder again. The light pressure he applied with his fingers did more than just soothing the knots out of my muscles, the action somehow helped calm my nerves and made me feel content. Without all of the tension, my body gave in to sleep, knowing that I was safe with Ichigo.

* * *

><p>I felt my mind slowly surface from the depths of unconsciousness and before I even opened my eyes I knew I was still in Ichigo's arms. I could tell from the warmth I felt along with the gentle caress of his fingers gliding through my hair. That plus his scent, he is the only one I know who smells warm like summer sunshine and spicy like cinnamon. I wish that time would freeze so that this calm would last forever.<p>

The moment was not meant to last however, and the sound of the door sliding open made me reluctantly open my eyes to see old hat and clogs. He was carrying a tray with mugs of coffee in one hand and a few loose papers in the other.

I lifted my head off of Ichigo's shoulder and turned to stare at Urahara; he should have some results by now. He set the tray down and handed Ichigo and me each a steaming mug before sitting down in front of us, papers in hand. The silence was heavy and the air was tense as we waited for Urahara to tell us the results.

He looked at us then shifted his gaze to the paper and started talking. "First off I want you to know that all three of them are healthy. Their brain development seems to have kept up with their fast growth."

That caught my attention. "How the hell do you know that from a blood test?" Ichigo grabbed my arm to try and keep me calm.

"Ma ma, no need to bite my head off; all I did was a brain scan, I didn't even touch them. I just passed the scanner over their heads, and if it makes you feel any better Kurosaki san was watching me like a hawk the whole time." I looked at Ichigo and he just nodded. "Anyway, the scan showed that they are not actually in a coma. They are in a very deep sleep, probably drug induced but they should wake up when the drug is out of their system, however long that may take."

"What do you mean by 'however long it may take'?" Ichigo all but hissed.

"What I am saying is, I don't know how long this drug will take to metabolize. It's not like anything I've ever seen before and it's extremely complex. I think the fluid you found them in was the drug. It was an icy blue color wasn't it?"

How did he know that? We only told him we found then in a tank of fluid.

"I see I was right. The blood samples had tiny drops of that icy blue fluid suspended in it. I managed to separate some of it from the blood and I have my computer running a test on it now. The last test I ran was inconclusive. If I had to venture a guess I would say that the drug was interfering. I'll redo the test when it's out of their system."

The look on his face was serious. I guess it was an important test. I looked to Ichigo, his eyes were burning with intensity as he dissected Urahara's expression to see if he was telling the truth. After a few moments of tense silence, he seemed to be satisfied with whatever he saw and let out a sigh of relief.

Some of the heavy tension had been lifted. We were all able to relax a little and drink the coffee, which had gone cold. We were sitting in a relatively peaceful silence, Urahara said he had some work to attend to and left Ichigo and me to watch over the sleeping triplets.

I observed Ichigo as he played with my daughter's long blue hair. A smile curved onto his lips and his eyes shone with affection. It made for such a prefect picture and I found myself wanting the moment to last. He turned to face me and his eyes were shining with that same warmth. That one look made it feel like butterflies were fluttering around in my stomach.

It was a new and strange sensation but I kind of liked it. What is this sensation? What does it mean? Why do I feel so attached to him? It's almost like I want him to be my mate!

The instant I thought that, it clicked in my mind that Ichigo would be a perfect mate and father. I could feel my face getting warm; I can't believe how fast my mind jumped at the thought of being bound to Ichigo. I wonder how he would react if I mentioned it to him now. He'd probably freak out or get pissed off.

At that thought I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my chest. I want Ichigo to be close, I felt safe with him near by, even if he isn't going to be my mate. That tightness was starting to become painful and I was so focused on my thoughts I didn't notice Ichigo's worried expression as he looked at me.

"Grimm is something wrong?" My eyes snapped up to meet with his.

"N-no, it's nothing. Why?" He took a moment before responding.

"You just looked like you were in pain for a moment." My face got hot when he said that. How does he always seem to witness my weakest moments?

"It's nothing. Just over thinking some things." The look on his face said he didn't quite believe me but he let the topic drop, much to my relief.

**Ichigo's PoV:**

When Urahara was telling us the results of his tests a flood of emotions washed over me. I was happy that they were happy, pissed off that Aizen drugged them, protective of them and Grimmjow, and something like confusion for the rapid growth of the triplets. I honestly didn't know how to feel. The emotions for that one fact are so jumbled that I didn't even know where to begin sorting through them.

I was wary of the vague results Urahara was rattling off. When he said one of the tests was inconclusive, I suspected he only wanted another sample. However, almost uncharacteristically, he wasn't half hidden behind his fan so I could actually see the seriousness in his face. I lea out a sigh when I was sure he wasn't going to go to far.

The tension passed and the coffee had gone cold but we drank it anyway. It was strong, just what we needed to keep us awake. Urahara left after we finished the coffee saying he had some work to do. Looking at the sleeping triplets I couldn't help playing with their hair. It was something I picked up from my mom. She would always play with my hair and the habit rubbed off on me. I was always playing with Karin and Yuzu's hair.

I twirled a strand of the girl's unbelievably soft blue hair through my fingers. It was softer and finer than silk and the same beautiful shade of sky blue as Grimmjow. They are beautiful and look so peaceful sleeping that I couldn't help the smile that pulled at my lips. I turned and saw Grimmjow watching me. He didn't seem upset that I was playing with her hair in fact he looked happy.

He also looked lost in thought because even though he was looking towards me is eyes weren't focused and his expression kept changing. It started at content and moved to surprised along with a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Next he looked sad then pained and a little disappointed. That was when I started to get concerned.

"Grimm, is something wrong?" He must have been surprised because his answer had a slight stutter.

"N-no, it's nothing. Why?"

I don't know why I paused before answering. "You just looked like you were in pain for a moment." I wasn't expecting him to flush red. Was he embarrassed?

"It's nothing. Just over thinking some things."

I wasn't totally buying hiss reason, not with a blush like that. Now I was beyond curious what he was thinking about. I decided to drop it, for now. I could always just ask him later. We just sank back into a comfortable silence, watching over the three little angels sleeping in front of us.

* * *

><p><strong>TWO WEEKS LATER…<strong>

I slowly woke up with a now familiar weight and warmth on my chest. Grimmjow was snuggling into my side with his hand on my chest directly over my heart. He had told me he liked to feel my heart beat. He didn't elaborate he just smiled. A lot of things had happened over the past two weeks.

First off Inoue went back to her house saying she didn't want to impose. I decided to stay at Urahara's place for the time being along with Grimm. He had gotten a bracelet from Urahara who had explained that it would hide Grimmjow's reiatsu. Hat and clogs went on to explain that the technology was similar to what the Soul Society uses on prisoners, except it didn't completely bind the wearers reiatsu and it could be removed by the person wearing it. Grimm reluctantly wore the bracelet with quite a bit of convincing on my part; after all he didn't want to be found by Soul Society or Aizen. He was antsy after he put it on. Apparently he had trouble sensing other people's reiatsu so he felt nervous.

At first we were given our own separate rooms, Grimm's was next to his children and mine was directly across the hall. That arrangement only lasted for three days since Grimmjow kept sneaking into my room to watch me sleep all night. He would then take naps throughout the day. It wasn't healthy and I could already see the dark circles forming under his eyes from lack of sleep.

As a result I found myself sharing a room with him in the hopes that he would actually get some proper sleep. Thankfully my being there _did_ help and he got the rest that his body needed.

During the time that Grimm was catching up on hi sleep he stayed in his bed, it was after that when he started sneaking into my bed in the middle of the night. Imagine my surprise waking up to see him curled up and snuggling into my side like a content cat.

At first I didn't know what to do, I was frozen in place. All I could do was stare at his peaceful sleeping face until he woke up. Sleepy cerulean eyes fluttered open a few minutes later. When I asked him why he was sleeping with me, his only answer was a lopsided grin and a light blush. For some reason I didn't press for more of an answer. We just got up and got ready for another day of waiting.

It was also around that time that he asked me to help him come up with names for the triplets. After about a week of deliberation and discussion we decided the girl's name would be Kasumi, the elder boy would be Haruki and the younger boy would be Hikaru. When I asked him how he knew whom the eldest was his reply was "I just know." He told me that Haruki was the first one I pulled out of the tank and the youngest was Kasumi. He didn't elaborate any further so I just chocked it up to his maternal instinct, and who was I to question it.

My thoughts were pulled back to the present as I felt Grimmjow shift in his sleep. During the past week or so I found that I liked waking up with his warmth next to me. I watched as a blue eye, still hazy with sleep, peaked open then snapped shut to block out the morning light.

He turned his head to burry his face in my shoulder as he tried to pretend it wasn't morning. I had to stifle a small chuckle at his behavior that was so cat-like.

I had learned that Grimm was _not_ a morning person and he was absolutely adorable as he was waking up. His eyes still hazy with sleep and his bead-head hair almost make him seem like a different person, especially when there's a light blush dusted across his cheeks. This was definitely something I could get used to.

**Grimmjow's PoV:**

There were three things I noticed as I woke up, a gentle warmth, a slow rhythmic heart beat against the palm of my hand and the muted thrum of reiatsu flowing around the room like a lazy wave, all three of which I knew belonged to Ichigo. I had to admit that it was a nice way to wake up, that is until I cracked open an eye only to be blinded by the morning sun streaming in through the open window.

I quickly snapped my eye shut again and turned my head into Ichigo in a futile attempt to ignore the light assaulting my eyes. I felt Ichigo move slightly but I didn't want him to get up just yet either, so I shifted the hand that was on his chest until my arm was draped over him and I snuggled closer. I wanted to savor the feeling of his warmth and reiatsu.

Ever since I put on that damn bracelet to stay under the radar I've been having trouble sensing other people's reiatsu. At first I could hardly feel any trace of Ichigo when he was just across the hall from me. Then I figured out that I could sense him better at a closer proximity. So I found myself going to his room where his reiatsu felt stronger.

That little compulsion of mine started to affect my sleep patterns and thus my health so Ichigo moved into my room. The first night I snuck into his bed was on a bit of an impulse; I wanted to feel his warmth again. To my surprise and delight he didn't freak out when he woke up, nor did he pry to find out a deeper meaning behind my actions.

Other than that and Ichigo helping me name the triplets; the past two weeks were relatively uneventful. We would spend most of out time watching the triplets sleep peacefully. I'm not sure if he is aware of this or not, but Ichigo would often hum soothing melodies while playing with their hair. I didn't recognize any of the tunes but his voice would always leave me breathless.

I felt him shift again before gentle fingers were combing through the hair at the back o my neck. In my semi-conscious state I couldn't stop the appreciative purr that bubbled up in my throat.

"It's time to wake up Grimm." I could hear the smile in the melodic baritone of his voice.

I peaked an eye open again, happy that the light was no longer directly assaulting me, and looked up to see Ichigo's gentle smile. A lazy lopsided grin was tugging at my lips as I took in Ichigo's 'just woke up' look. All of his features seemed a bit softer, his usual scowl is nowhere to be seen replaced with a serenely peaceful smile and his hair sat in an even greater disarray of messy spikes.

I reluctantly move my arm from his chest so he can sit up, and right when he does move I shift onto the warm spot where he was. I could hear him chuckle lightly as I nuzzled into the residual warmth. When I heard the door slide open and had trouble feeling Ichigo's reiatsu, I knew he had gone to take his morning shower.

I sat up slowly and stretched, feeling satisfied when I felt my spine pop back into alignment. I pulled myself out of bed to change from my sleep clothes to more day appropriate attire. As I finished putting on my last article of clothing Ichigo walked back in, fully dressed in his black shinigami robes while he ran a towel over his hair to dry it.

We made our way to the room that Haruki, Hikaru and Kasumi shared. When we opened the door I could smell freshly brewed coffee and I noticed there were two steaming mugs next to where Ichigo and I usually sit. I guess that mustached guy decided to bring our coffee in here rather than calling us over for breakfast only to have us walk out with a mug of coffee to come back to this room.

I grabbed one of the cups and took a nice big gulp of the aromatic liquid. I glanced up to see why Ichigo hadn't taken his coffee yet. He was starring at Haruki with a puzzled look on his face. Then his gaze moved over to Hikaru then to Kasumi. His attention kept going between Haruki and Hikaru then he looked at me, his eyes swimming with confusion.

He mumbled something about their hair and walked out of the room only to return a moment later, dragging hat and clogs in by the collar of his robes. "What's going on with their hair?" Ichigo's tone was full of suspicion and laced with annoyance as he released the blonde shopkeeper.

"What on earth are you talking about Kurosaki san? I hope you didn't interrupt breakfast to ask me about fashionable haircuts for them." The blonde chirped in his sarcastic singsong voice.

Ichigo seemed quite agitated as he responded in a clipped tone. "Of course not! I want to know why Haruki's and Hikaru's blue hair suddenly started growing orange!" That made Urahara a bit more serious as he turned to examine the boys.

I peeked over his shoulder and sure enough the roots of their hair, about a quarter inch, was a bright sunny orange. "What the hell is going on?" My voice was breathy and shook from the shock.

"Do you remember how I said one of the tests I ran was inconclusive?" I just nodded numbly and Ichigo kept him pinned under a hard stare. "Well I think we should re-run the test, it could give us some answers."

Ichigo and I watched him carefully draw one vial of blood from each of them again before he took the samples into that back room of his for analysis. The waiting this time around was excruciating. It was impossible for us to sit still so we were both pacing around the room like caged tigers, ready to strike at anyone or anything that came in here.

When hat and clogs finally came back with the results it looked like he was fighting a grin. "Well?" I all but snapped. He let a mischievous grin curl onto his lips as he pulled out his fan.

"I suppose congratulations are in order!" He chimed vaguely as he started to fan himself.

"What are you going on about now?" Ichigo was getting irritated and fast.

"Kurosaki san, congratulations on becoming a father!" The blonde chirped happily.

"WHAT?" Ichigo and I yelled simultaneously.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SURPRISE! HAHAHA… What do you think of that little twist? And a bit of a cliffhanger. Am I evil or what… and no worries, everything will be explained in due time.**


End file.
